We’re excited to share our latest report: “Exploring a transition to alternative social media platforms for social justice organizations in the Majority World.”
From July 2023 to October 2024, The Engine Room with support from the Open Society Foundation, investigated the current habits, needs and desires of social justice organizations based in the Majority World on mainstream and alternative social media platforms. (In this research popular alternatives mentioned include Mastodon, BlueSky and other social networks in the Fediverse.)
The goal of this research was to better understand what it would take for a critical mass of users to move to alternative platforms.
We met with experts from Majority World social justice organizations, researchers, alternative tech service providers and developers, and funders. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to engage in this topic and envision what an alternative social media landscape could look like.
Download the executive summary or full report
Online event
Join our report launch!
On Tuesday December 3rd at 15:00 GMT we are holding a report launch event for funders, researchers and social justice organizations interested in learning more about what a transition to alternative social media could look like for social justice organizations in the Majority World.
Key takeaways
Our research found a transition to a pluriverse of options could be the most viable way forward: this might include repurposing existing platforms, embracing low-tech approaches, and developing innovative alternatives that meet the needs of social justice organizations and marginalized communities.
In order for this to be successful, however – in other words, to imagine and build an ecosystem of community-centered alternatives where organizations can mobilize, organize and connect – we need to address a number of challenges, including tackling technological barriers, building resilience to the harms of mainstream social media, and strengthening capacity.
Below we outline some of our key findings.
- Mainstream social media remains an important channel for social justice organizations to disseminate information, connect and mobilize. Mainstream social media platforms (e.g Instagram, Facebook (Meta), Twitter (X), TikTok) are widely used globally, and allow social justice organizations to reach their audiences easily. Organizations that choose to remain on these platforms do so with agency, navigating the harms and limitations, in order to more effectively reach their audiences, especially in areas of lower connectivity, and across demographics.
- For individuals and organizations who decide to remain on mainstream social media platforms, we need to build resilience and protection to safeguard against the harms and shortcomings of these platforms. Social justice organizations have concerns about how mainstream social media ad-based business models often prioritize profits over safety considerations, contribute to the spread of information disorder and leave specific communities in the Majority World unprotected. Surveillance concerns, insufficient content moderation and online harms must all be addressed.
- Alternative platforms are perceived as potentially beneficial as they facilitate a less extractive and more community-led user experience. The ability of users to create, join and manage their own platforms creates opportunities to center and facilitate “safe harbors” for activists and marginalized communities online.
- Alternative platforms, like mainstream options, also face challenges around safety, abusive content and inadequate content moderation. Further support is needed to ensure that self-managed platforms do not perpetuate the same inequities and harms experienced on mainstream options. Likewise, more attention should be given to developing community content moderation practices.
- A transition to alternatives needs to be centered around the needs and capabilities of non-technical communities. Alternatives have a higher technological barrier to entry than mainstream platforms with easy user interfaces. Moreover, alternative platforms can be expensive for smaller organizations to host and maintain their own servers (e.g. self-hosting an instance of Mastodon may require a dedicated staff member [s] with technical expertise), as opposed to using a commercial platform.
- Presenting alternative options as replacements for their mainstream counterparts (e.g. “Twitter substitute”) is misleading. These platforms offer different features and affordances. To enjoy alternatives, users may need to embrace slower forms of engagement and more “low-fi” experiences with technology. Likewise, the lack of popularity of these platforms means online communities tend to be smaller and more niche, creating “bubbles of like-minded people” at times.
- A transition to a “pluriverse” of community spaces is more desirable than a transition to specific platforms. Our research found that users desire the freedom to move between various platforms that suit their needs. This includes smaller, community centered alternatives, the option to continue to use mainstream options for wider reach, and low-tech (or non-tech) spaces.
We hope our research inspires continued conversations on what an equitable, digital pluriverse could look like!
Get in touch
Interested in exploring alternative social media platforms or imagining an alternative social media landscape? Please reach out to our team if you’re curious about learning more about this research or interested in receiving our free tech and data support services!
Work with us
Our research partnerships provide practical evidence and recommendations to help organizations understand some of the complexities involved in using data and technology in ways that promote social justice. A research consultancy can start with a question! Feel free to email us at hello@theengineroom.org and we can schedule a call to explore your ideas further.